


Visit

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-19 18:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5976130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“And despite what the masses think, love is survival of the fittest. So congrats Miss Madison. <i>You</i> are the fittest.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visit

**Author's Note:**

> Comics made me mad so I wrote a thing in like twenty minutes last night. Poorly edited. Jason, obviously, was driving the car. Damian had snuck away from them, thus Tim was pretty relieved when they found him, thus the fondness/exasperation. Dumb, I dunno.

She stopped as she passed his office, cocked her head as she stared at him.

“Bruce?” She asked gently. He didn’t look at her, eyes glued to his window. She stepped into the room. “You okay?”

He hummed from behind his hand. “Yeah…”

“What’re you looking at?” She asked with a laugh, leaning over his desk and glancing through the blinds herself.

She froze immediately.

It was a boy. A little boy, no older than eleven at most. Tanned skin, dark hair, thick eyebrows. He was sitting on the swings. Not _actually_ swinging, just sitting there, looking around, hands clasped tightly around the chains suspending him.

And she gasped – because she _knew_ him.

“Do we know him?” Bruce asked absently, rubbing at his beard. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in the center before.”

Julie felt her heart tug a little.

“Uh…yeah…” Slowly, she placed her folders on the edge of Bruce’s desk, began to back out of the room. “I’ll go talk to him. See what I can find out.”

“Okay.” Her eyes widened involuntarily as she watched Bruce move to stand. “I’ll come wi-”

“No, it’s fine. I can do it on my own.” Julie cut off instantly. “In fact, I have a little job for you anyway. Mind restocking the acrylics? Olivia mentioned they were running out of purple in the art corner. And check for anything else that might need restocked? Clay might be low too.”

She darted from the room before he could respond – or fight her request.

She knew the kids and other councilors were watching as she ran down the hall, and through the room. Didn’t really care as she slammed the heavy door open, and ran out onto the playground.

She looked around desperately, remembering the stories, and the rumours about how he had a tendency to disappear, to run away. Remembering how she tsked at the papers, exploiting such a young boy for readership. It wasn’t his fault his father was the revered Bruce Wayne, was it?

But she found him quickly, where he was a few minutes ago. Still sitting on that stationary swing.

Now staring at her.

She exhaled, and began towards him. Slowly, this time. Calmly. But he didn’t move or lean away. Didn’t try to run. Just sat there, watching. Twisting the swing’s cables back and forth a little bit.

She stopped a few feet away. Waited a second to take a breath, then smiled. “Hi, Damian.”

His eyes sharpened, and it was almost terrifying. “How do you know my name?”

_“Do we know him?”_

Julie laughed. “Sure, who doesn’t?”

Because everyone knew Damian Wayne.

Damian’s eyes went back to the window, and his voice was soft. “You know who doesn’t.”

Well, _almost_ everyone.

Julie let her smile fall as she crouched, tried to get down to Damian’s level. “Alfred told me about that.”

“So?”

Julie shrugged. “I can’t even _begin_ to imagine how painful this is for you, Damian. Your father not remembering yo-”

“Good.” Damian snapped, squeezed the chains harder. “Then don’t.”

Julie opened her mouth to say something else, but paused. Thought better of it. Smiled again. “He loves you, you know.”

Damian scoffed. Rolled his eyes and looked away.

“He does.” She pushed. “I _know_ he does. Way deep down. A father always loves his son, no matter what. Amnesia or otherwise.”

“If you truly believe that, you would have told him about me.” Damian countered. “And you haven’t, right? That’s why he’s staring at me like he is.” Julie turned, found Bruce standing at the window now. Sipping his coffee. Staring fiercely. “He’s trying to figure it out himself.”

“Probably.” Julie looked back. “Like I said, he feels something. Deep down. And that’s love. Because he loves-”

“No, he doesn’t.” Damian cut off again. “He doesn’t love me. He loves _you_.”

Julie couldn’t help but lean back. Blink dumbly.

“And despite what the masses think, love is survival of the fittest.” The boy gave her a grim smile and a shrug. “So congrats, Miss Madison. _You_ were the fittest.”

She felt herself shaking her head. “Damian, that’s not-”

“Save it. I didn’t come here to be remembered anyway.” Damian sighed, turning away, looking towards the parking lot. A car pulled in, began driving slowly through the lanes, but Julie paid it no mind. “I just…I don’t know, I just wanted to _see_ him.”

Julie didn’t respond.

“…He’s happy here, you know.” Damian whispered. “With the children. With you. He enjoys it, this work.”

Julie inhaled. “Damian, if you want. I…I know Alfred told me not to. I know it’s a big secret of Gotham, and no one’s willing to be the one to mention that Bruce has a child – has _children_ – but you know what? I am. I _will_.” She reached out, grabbed Damian’s wrist. “Come on inside, and we’ll get this whole mess figured out.”

Damian didn’t look at her. Still watching that car drive around.

“Because, yeah. Sure. He’s happy.” She bit her lip, squeezed his arm. “But he’d be _happier_ with you. With you and your brothers and your sister. He’d be happier _knowing_ about you.” A pause. “So come on. Let’s go talk to Bruce.”

The car suddenly pulled up to the sidewalk and stopped. And Julie couldn’t ignore it anymore, as just as suddenly, Damian stood.

“Thank you, but no. Like I said, I didn’t come here to be remembered.” Julie stood slowly, too. Glanced over to the car, and watched someone get out of the backseat.

Dick Grayson. Another of Bruce’s forgotten sons.

The front passenger window rolled down, exposing a smiling Timothy Drake, who looked both exasperated and fond as he looked at Damian. Julie couldn’t see the driver, beyond his tall frame.

“Just…take care of him, okay? Love him as best you can.” Damian requested quietly, glancing up at her as Dick Grayson started towards them. “And…when he asks. When you go back inside, and he asks who I was, just…lie.”

“Damian…”

“He’s happy with you. And I don’t know if he’d be happier knowing about me and the others, but.” Damian gulped as he pulled away from her hand. “I do know that he’s _better off_ without me around. _Safer_. So. We’re going to keep it that way, okay?”

Damian didn’t wait for an answer, suddenly spinning away, practically jogging towards Dick. Dick smiled as the boy approached him. Leaned down and took the boy’s shoulders. Asked him a question, then a second one. Smiled at him, sadly, and kissed his forehead. Looped an arm around him and turned back towards the car.

Dick glanced back at Julie only once. Smiled again, warmer this time. Knowing. He nodded, then turned back to Damian, and focused on bundling him carefully into the vehicle.

The car took off as soon as the door closed behind the two, and Julie couldn’t help but watch them go.

“So? Who _was_ that?”

She jumped and spun around. Found Bruce standing right behind her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He was watching the car, too.

“Um…” She laid a hand on his chest, looked over her shoulder just once. The car had turned, heading towards the exit. Damian’s window was down, and she could see inside the vehicle. See him leaning sadly into Dick’s side, see the arm the elder had tight around his shoulders for comfort.

And she shouldn’t. She _shouldn’t_.

The car disappeared into traffic, and she sighed.

“Nobody, Bruce. It was nobody.”


End file.
